Until I read this, I didn’t realize there are different possible claims about the dangers of cults. One claim—the one gwern is debunking—is that cults are a large-scale danger, and practically anyone can be taken over by a cult.
The other less hyperbolic claim is that cults can seriously screw up people’s lives, even if it’s a smallish proportion of people. I still think that’s true.
Until I read this, I didn’t realize there are different possible claims about the dangers of cults. One claim—the one gwern is debunking—is that cults are a large-scale danger, and practically anyone can be taken over by a cult.
The other less hyperbolic claim is that cults can seriously screw up people’s lives, even if it’s a smallish proportion of people. I still think that’s true.